Long-standing PDF Export Bug (Background Tasks Panel)

[.random..]

I wanted to report a persistent issue still present in the latest version of InDesign. The background task panel progress indicator for PDF export often remains inactive and does not show any progress for an extended period. Interestingly, this issue resolves itself immediately if the user toggles the "Preflight" feature on and then off again.

This bug has been present for several years, and addressing it would greatly enhance the user experience during PDF exports.

[Eugene Tyson]

Hi,

I would like to understand your specific setup better to see if there is any configuration issue on your side. Could you let me know which operating system you are using and which version of InDesign you have installed?

Interesting, I don't know if this is a bug, I haven't noticed this, but maybe its an artefact of how InDesign manages its background tasks. The background tasks panel may not always refresh its progress indicator in real time because the export process runs on a separate thread.

The fact that toggling the Preflight setting triggers a UI refresh suggests that the export is progressing correctly, even though the panel does not update immediately.

[.random..]

Hi, 
sorry for the delayed response.

Several years ago, while working in the DTP department of a magazine publishing house, we encountered significant issues with Adobe InDesign CS 5, the last version before the Creative Cloud transition. We frequently faced problems with background exports: the progress bar often failed to initiate or remained stagnant for extended periods.
Through observation, we discovered that toggling the preflight check on and off could resolve the issue approximately 90% of the time. However, enabling preflight checks considerably slowed our workflow. Consequently, we resorted to forcing exports to the foreground, which, while effective, also caused delays.

Notably, these challenges were more pronounced with large documents, such as exporting a 148-page magazine containing links to other documents. Surprisingly, similar issues persist in the latest versions of InDesign CC.

System Configuration:
Device: Mac Studio (2023)
Processor (Chip): Apple M2 Max
RAM: 64 GB
Startup Disk: Macintosh HD
macOS Version: 15.3.1 (24D70)

[Laubender]

Hi @.random.. ,

you could try to disable the background task altogether and use the legacy export process in "foreground".

Details here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/long-standing-pdf-export-bug-background-tasks-pa...

Not as a solution but as a workaround to get jobs done.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Frans v.d. Geest]

When you add that file to InDesign, when there is an update to InDesign that is installed, a start on Mac OS 15.x will result in a 'damaged, move to trash' message and you have to set Privacy settings to allow to start in the System settings of Mac OS. Learned that the hard way 😉

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @.random..,  

Thanks for sharing your experience! The experts have offered some great suggestions, were you able to try them out?  

Could you also confirm which version of InDesign you tested this with? Additionally, if possible, share a screen recording showing when the delay occurs and when it doesn’t. That will help me investigate further with the team.  

Looking forward to your update!  

^

Abhishek